Citadel of Aleppo

If you are looking for the perfect place to enjoy a pipe of Shisha check out the Citadel of Aleppo where not only can you get the best view in the city, you can also learn about the history of this fascinating city. Aleppo is one of the oldest and continuously inhabited cities in the world with a population of 4,393,000. The modern city sits on the same site as the ancient city (occupied since around 5000BC) and has barely been touched by archaeologists. In 1183, the fourth deadliest earthquake in recorded history rumbled through the city killing 230,000 people and then in 1516, it became part of the Ottoman Empire where it remained until the collapse of the Empire in 1923.

Aleppo is a historically significant city because of its location at the end of the Silk Road – a network of trade routes connecting Asia with the Western world that got its name from the lucrative Chinese silk trade. However after the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869, trade was rerouted through the canal and the city began its decline .Almost ¾ of the population is made up of Sunni Muslims but the city also has the largest Christian community in the Middle East after Beirut, Lebanon. They also had a large Jewish population from the times of King David but the Aleppo Riots of 1947, forced most of the 10,000 Jews to migrate to Israel as part of the Jewish exodus from the Arab lands.

The Citadel of Aleppo is one of the oldest and largest castles in the world dating back to the 3rd millennium BC with construction continuing until the 12th century. The massive limestone structure, which was used right up to the 20th century, was occupied by such great civilizations as the Greeks, Byzatines, Ayyubids and Mamluks. It is said that the prophet Abraham milked his sheep on the citadel hill. The entrance includes a huge stone bridge constructed over a moat that was once used to keep invaders out. The residents would also protect themselves from would be assailants by pouring hot liquid on intruders as they made their way up the six turns of the vaulted entrance ramp. Along with a number of secret passageways winding through the complex, there are also secret underground passages said to link the citadel to the city so that the residents could seek refuge in the castle during a siege. Aside from being an important tourist attraction and archaeological site, the amphitheatre is still used for musical concerts and cultural events. As well, a small cafe at the top serves lunch and shisha and is a great place to view the city.

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